The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

I’m Back Home in San Antonio…

I meant to tell you in my Memorial Day greeting that I got home last week. We wanted to get back in time for our daughter to come home over the Memorial Day weekend. Once she moves to New Orleans, we won’t be able to see her very often.

There were several changes in my mother’s care while I was there. One of the three ladies who comes in to spend time with her has been moved to another “client”. That is great for the two caregivers who didn’t get along, but in the long run, my mother (the “client”) is the one who loses out. (Can you tell I’m not very happy about this change?) She was pretty used to two of her three “ladies” >>> since they had been with her for about a year. Unfortunately, jealousy has a bad way of appearing when and where you would least expect it!

As I mentioned in one of my comments last week, we joined my younger brother while he bought a new truck. I’m glad I was able to spend the time with him. Lately, when I visit my mother, I spend the entire time with her, so it was especially nice to spend a few hours with my brother.

The weather was absolutely beautiful. Very déjà vu-ish for me… Took me back to when I taught school out there, before I moved with my husband.

2013 Agatha Award Best Children/Young Adult Novel (Mystery)

OK, I have to say, I absolutely love it when established mystery authors write children’s mysteries. I love it! By “established” I mean that they are already known for mystery books that adults enjoy. Katherine Hall Page wrote the Christie & Company Mystery Series for 5th to 8th graders, James Patterson writes the Middle School Series (as well as three other series for teens), John Grisham writes the (for young adults) Theodore Boone Mystery Series, Harlan Coben writes the young adult Mickey Bolitar Mystery Series, Peter Abrahams (aka Spencer Quinn) writes the Echo Falls Mystery Series, Carl Hiaasen‘s funny children’s books all take place in Florida, Penny Warner writes the Code Busters Club Mystery Series, Chris Grabenstein has written several award winning mysteries for children 9-12, and just a few weeks ago I found out that Amanda Flower (aka Isabella Alan) writes the Andi Boggs Mystery Series.

Who knew?!?

Whenever I post the winners/nominees for different mystery awards, I become aware of more and more “established” authors who are now writing mysteries for children and young adults. I think that’s terrific! So, here are two mystery series for children that are written by two of our Cozy Mystery authors. Both of them have been nominated for the prestigious Agatha Award for Best Children/Young Adult Novels:

writes the Code Busters Club Mystery Series. The Code Busters Club is made up by Cody, Luke, Quinn, and M.E. >>> all are children who enjoy using different types of codes like Morse Code, American Sign Language, and Consonant Code. These four have a private club with all sorts of passwords. They use different types of codes to help them solve mysteries.These books actually involve the reader, having him/her work out different codes throughout the mystery books. All three mystery books in the Code Busters Club Mystery Series have been nominated for the Agatha Award Best Children/Young Adult Novel for 2011, 2012, and 2013. (for ages 9-12)

 Amanda Flower (aka Isabella Alan) writes the Andi Boggs Mystery Series. Andi (Andora) Boggs is a twelve year old girl with a passion for all-things-science. After the death of her parents, Andi and her teen sister move in with their aunt, who isn’t much older than they are (in her 20s). “Andi Unexpected” is the first novel in the Andi Boggs series, and it was nominated for the 2013 Agatha Award Best Children/Young Adult Novel. (for ages 9-12)

(I posted part of this entry a little while back on Facebook, and my husband asked me why I didn’t actually write an entire entry about this for the Cozy Mystery site, since he knows how much I love that these authors are writing mysteries for children. I then took it off of Facebook, and finished the entry, and finally posted it here.)

If you’d like to take a look at more children’s books that have been nominated/won the Agatha Award: Best Children/Young Adult Novel, click here.

Cozy Mystery Author Lucy Arlington Makes a Change!

Lucy Arlington will soon be releasing Played by the Book, her fourth Novel Idea Mystery. Or will she?!?

Yes, she will. However, Lucy Arlington is making a little change…

Fans of the Novel Idea Mystery Series know that initially, Ellery Adams and Sylvia May were the two authors who wrote the Novel Idea Mystery Series together. Adams and May wrote the first three books together: Buried in a Book, Every Trick in the Book, and Books, Cooks, and Crooks.

Both May and Adams became busy with other writing projects. In stepped Susan Furlong. Ellery Adams (aka Jennifer Stanley and J.B. Stanley) is writing three other Cozy Mystery Series: the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery Series, the Book Retreat Mystery Series, and the Books by the Bay Mystery Series.  Of course, as J.B. Stanley she wrote the Supper Club Mystery Series and the Collectibles Mystery Series. And let’s not forget the Hope Street Church Mystery Series which she wrote as Jennifer Stanley.

Susan Furlong is an ex high school language teacher. She will be writing the Novel Idea Mystery Series, beginning with the fourth book, Played by the Book. Susan Furlong will also be writing the Georgia Peach Mystery Series.

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